After a stretch of unseasonably warm weather, the final week of the year will be chilly.
The cold seeped into metro Atlanta throughout Monday, and by Tuesday morning, temperatures are expected to be in the upper 20s, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Jennifer Lopez.
The wind chill could make it feel even more bitter, especially in the northeast Georgia mountains, according to the National Weather Service. The agency described the gusty conditions and falling temperatures as “an abrupt return to winter” after record-breaking heat around the Christmas holiday.
Tuesday will be the coldest day of the week, with highs only reaching the low 40s, Lopez said.
Temperatures will gradually warm up some as the week progresses, just in time for the new year. On Wednesday, the Weather Service predicts temps will top out in the low 50s, before dropping to near freezing later on New Year’s Eve.
Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 56 degrees Thursday, Lopez said.
Conditions should be dry most of the week, according to forecasters.
The drastic cooldown started Monday in metro Atlanta.
“If you need to do something outside, do it bright and early because by the end of day, it’s going to feel brutal,” Lopez said Monday morning. “Old Man Winter is returning here to North Georgia.”
Just a few days ago, it felt like spring in the metro area.
On Saturday, Atlanta hit a record 79 degrees, according to Weather Service data. The previous record for that day was 75 degrees, set in 2015.
On Christmas Eve, Atlanta temperatures rose to 78 degrees, smashing a record of 73 degrees set in 2016. according to the Weather Service.
The average high for this time of year is around 54 degrees.
The cold snap prompted several counties to open warming centers for those in need.
The city of Atlanta’s centers will welcome residents overnight Monday through noon Tuesday and are slated to reopen at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
DeKalb County’s warming centers will open again at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Transportation to the centers will be available from Frontline Response International at 2585 Gresham Road in Atlanta.
In Cobb County, the Must Ministries Hope House will again open its warming station Tuesday and Wednesday. Those wishing to use the shelter are asked to arrive by 8 p.m. to the site at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
Warming stations will open in Gwinnett from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
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